This invention relates to a passive occupant restraint belt system in which the belt is automatically, easily and effectively transferred between occupant-restraining and occupant-releasing configurations in response to opening and closing movements of a vehicle door.
In recent years there have been many proposals for passive occupant restraint systems for vehicles. The most common type of restraint systems are those based on restraint belts, and most of the proposed belt systems include a belt transfer mechanism which is driven by an electric motor, a mechanical lever, or a gear transmission. In the case of mechanical drives, a motion transmitter coupled between the belt transfer device and the vehicle body or door transmits and amplifies the door opening and closing movements to the belt transfer device. One such mechanical device, which is capable of moving the restraining belt between occupant-restraining and occupant-releasing positions in response to a partial opening of the door, is shown and described in commonly-owned U.S. application Ser. No. 950,020, filed Oct. 10, 1978.
In the case of an accident, however, where the vehicle body or door is deformed, the motion transmitter and belt transfer devices may be damaged and possibly rendered inoperative. It is desirable, therefore, that the motion transmitter and amplifier, which are normally coupled between the vehicle body and door, release should the belt transfer mechanism or motion transmission device bind up.